Abraham “Abe” Alvin Mitchell - 1952

Following RMA, Mitchell attended the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, and received his law degree from the University of Alabama, and LL.M. taxation degree from the New York University School of Law.

 

In the 1950s, Abe and his brother, Mayer Mitchell, a Riverside class of ’49 graduate, created The Mitchell Company, which became one of the southeast’s largest real estate companies specializing in single-family homes, apartments, and shopping centers.

 

Mitchell today runs Mitchell Brothers Inc, which focuses on investments and philanthropic support of the community.  Mayer Mitchell passed away in 2007.

 

Mitchell is one of Alabama’s best-known philanthropists in support of higher education providing over $90 million to the University of South Alabama (USA) in Mobile.  The Mitchell family contributed $22 million to support the University of South Alabama’s cancer research institute, which is named the Mitchell Cancer Institute.

 

Mitchell has endowed USA’s Mitchell College of Business, plus he funded the largest private scholarship program at USA, providing full academic scholarships to 28 superior business students annually.  He assisted with funds to build the Mitchell Center arena and has endowed three faculty chairs in the USA College of Medicine.

 

He also supports a Jewish camp, Ramah Darom, in Clayton, GA, among many, many other nonprofit and cultural organizations.

 

Mitchell has been involved with Riverside since the early 2000s when the Alumni Council was formed and efforts to find missing alumni began. His support in recent years, in the form of challenge grants to alumni and RMA donors, has been instrumental in the Academy’s fundraising initiatives. It was his leadership that inspired the construction and philanthropic support to build a home for the academy president on Riverside’s campus. Named in his honor, Mitchell Quarters serves the Riverside community in many ways including receptions for parents, alumni, donors, board and community leaders.

 

In 2012 Mitchell was honored as Riverside’s Distinguished Alumnus, and in 2014 Mitchell was awarded the Riverside President’s Philanthropic Award.